Sports
Liberty focus on sweeping Aces in Game 3, returning to Finals
Oct 1, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) drives past Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young (0) in the third quarter during game two of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images A return trip to the WNBA Finals is within reach for the New York Liberty when they hit the road Friday to face the Las Vegas Aces, who are trying to stave off the end to their two-year championship reign.
The Liberty took a 2-0 lead in their best-of-five semifinal series against the Aces with an 88-84 home victory in Game 2 on Tuesday. Sabrina Ionescu scored 24 points with nine rebounds as New York broke free from a tie game with just over a minute remaining.
Ionescu’s pull-up jumper with 1:15 remaining gave the Liberty an 83-81 lead and they never trailed from there. Breanna Stewart, who finished with 15 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, sealed the victory with two free throws with 5 seconds remaining.
Plenty has been made of the Liberty’s quest to avenge their defeat to the Aces in last year’s WNBA Finals, but New York is well aware there is more left to accomplish.
“They came out swinging (in Game 2), playing really aggressive and … we stuck together, chipped away quarter by quarter and made big plays when we needed to,” Ionescu said. “Now we have a great opportunity to go take that first one at their home court. That’s what our goal is.”
Ionescu has scored at least 20 points with five assists and at least 50-percent shooting from the floor in three consecutive playoff games, the second to accomplish the feat after Diana Taurasi in 2009, according to ESPN.
After she averaged 20.4 points and 8.5 rebounds in 38 regular-season games to finish third in MVP voting, Stewart has averaged 20.5 points with 7.3 rebounds in four playoff games, all victories.
The Aces’ A’Ja Wilson earned her third MVP award this season with 26.9 points and 11.9 rebounds and has scored 22.5 points with 8.5 rebounds as Las Vegas has gone 2-2 in four playoff games.
Wilson scored 24 points on 11-of-18 shooting with seven rebounds in Tuesday’s defeat.
Chelsea Gray got the Aces off to a fast start in Game 2 with 10 first-quarter points to give her team a 27-22 lead. But Las Vegas scored just 13 points in the second quarter on 5-of-15 shooting as New York took a 46-40 lead into the break.
The Liberty led by as many as eight with eight minutes remaining in the game before the Aces charged back to tie it at 81 on a 3-pointer from Alysha Clark with 1:31 remaining. Las Vegas was outscored 7-3 the rest of the way while missing three shots from the floor, one free throw and committing one turnover in the final minute.
No WNBA team has ever come back from a 2-0 deficit in a playoff series, and while the Aces are back home, they were just 13-7 in their own building during the regular season after going 19-1 in 2023.
“We have neither lost nor won a championship. Nothing has been won,” Aces head coach Becky Hammon said, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “Let there be no doubt, we’re in for a war.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jerry Kelly ties Cameron Percy atop Senior Open leaderboard
Jerry Kelly drives on hole No. 4 during the Kaulig Companies PGA Championship Final Round, July 12, 2026, at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. With a 2-under par third round, Jerry Kelly tied Cameron Percy atop the leaderboard of the ISPS Handa Senior Open in Perth, Scotland on Saturday.
For Kelly, it was his second straight round of 2-under par 68 en route to being at 8-under 202 through three rounds. Meanwhile, Percy had his roughest afternoon of the week with a 1-over 71. The Australian started the event red hot with a 7-under 63.
Peter Baker (67, 5-under 205) and South Africa’s Darren Fichardt (68, 4-under) resided in third and fourth place, respectively. Pat Perez (67), South African Ernie Els (71) and Austria’s Markus Brier are all tied for fifth at three-under par.
Despite his position, Kelly, 59, remains focused on the round ahead of him.
“Yeah, we scoreboard watch, but it’s still Saturday,” he said. “So, there’s no real emotions going on for that scoreboard. Just want to position yourself for tomorrow and you want to get the job done tomorrow and that’s the key.”
Nevertheless, he recognized how meaningful it would be to win a Senior Open Championship.
“Yeah, that would be one of the most special things at this stage of my career. Like any player, I might treasure that above all else.”
Tim Petrovic was the round leader, shooting a 4-under that vaulted him 46 spots up the leaderboard into a tie for 16th place.
Clark Dennis had a strong showing, as well. His 67 shot him up 21 spots to a tie for eighth place.
Charles Schwab Cup leader Stewart Cink (70) is tied for 31st at 3-over 213.
–Field Level Media
Sports
With 318th homer, Royals' Salvador Perez sets club mark
Jul 25, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (13) receives receives congratulations from teammates after he hits a home run in the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Salvador Perez, who hit the first home run of his career at Comerica Park in Detroit in 2011, set the Kansas City Royals’ all-time record with No. 318 on Saturday at the same venue.
In the Royals’ 3-2 win over the Tigers, Perez tied the game at 2 in the seventh inning with a 401-foot solo shot to left off right-handed reliever Kyle Finnegan.
Perez’s blast broke a tie with Hall of Famer George Brett, who hit 317 homers for Kansas City from 1973-93. Like Brett, Perez has played his entire career with the Royals since debuting in 2011.
The 36-year-old is batting .210 with 15 homers and 44 RBIs in 98 games this season. He is a nine-time All-Star and a five-time Gold Glove catcher.
In 1,805 games with Kansas City, Perez has hit .261 with 748 runs and 1,060 RBIs.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Rangers place 3B Josh Jung (calf) on 10-day IL
Jul 21, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung (6) follows through on his single against the Chicago White Sox during the third inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images The American League West-leading Texas Rangers placed starting third baseman Josh Jung on the 10-day injured list on Saturday — retroactive to Wednesday — with a left calf strain.
In a corresponding move, the Rangers recalled infielder Josh Smith from Triple-A Round Rock before Saturday’s home game against the second-place Seattle Mariners.
Jung, 28, exited Tuesday’s game against the Chicago White Sox after three innings with a left calf issue and has not played since. In 92 games this season, the 2023 All-Star is hitting .294 with nine home runs and 35 RBIs. He is eligible to return to the active roster on Aug. 1.
Texas’ first-round pick (No. 8 overall) in the 2019 MLB Draft, Jung has hit .264 with 58 home runs and 196 RBIs in 417 games with the Rangers.
Smith, 28, is in his third stint with the Rangers this season, batting .230 with one run and eight RBIs in 40 games. The versatile five-year veteran has played five positions in 2026, mainly seeing time at second base (34 games/30 starts).
In 496 games with Texas since being acquired from the New York Yankees in 2021, Smith has hit .236 with 32 homers and 136 RBIs.
–Field Level Media
Jerry Kelly ties Cameron Percy atop Senior Open leaderboard
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